Part 1: Encounter at Falaise - Newsreel
by Queen's Bishop
Summary: Just because they weren't in the thick of things at Falaise doesn't mean the Second Platoon didn't face danger.


_No infringement on the rights of the owners of "Combat!" is intended. This story is for the enjoyment of "Combat!" fans only, not for any monetary profit by the author._

_Thanks to JML for proofreading and to Susan Rodriguez for beta reading._

**Encounters at Falaise**

**Part 1: Newsreel**

**by: Queen's Bishop**

**()()()()() Indicates the passage of time or a shift in the action to another character or location.**

_In motion picture theaters across the country it was always the same. The chatter quieted when the lights dimmed and was replaced by laughter as the cartoons suddenly appeared on the screen. Then, when the newsreel started, it became so quiet that, if the speakers had been turned off, you could have heard a pin drop. The movie patrons all leaned forward in their seats, each desperately hoping to catch a fleeting glimpse of the husband, son, brother, uncle or cousin, neighbor, friend, or sweetheart they had not seen for months or even years. _

_Everyone watched, their eyes glued to the screen. Occasionally, there were shouts of recognition and cries of joy followed by one or two people stumbling up the aisle of the darkened theater to reach the exit and then the pay telephones in the lobby where they called and spread the word. The sightings even appeared in the local newspaper and more people flocked to the theater to see the newsreel, to know that for that one brief moment, weeks before and now frozen in time, their loved one was alive and well. _

_Then, the wives and sweethearts, parents and siblings would sit in the dark, night after night until the newsreel changed, starting the process over again._

-Based on the recollections of Alice B. Lawrence (the author's mother).

()()()()()()()()()()

It would be light soon, and if things were going as planned, the artillery and armor were already catching the Krauts by surprise as they moved into position near Falaise. The infantry would soon move out, trailing the iron behemoths and engaging the enemy on a more personal level. King Company would be anchoring the left flank.

The soldiers huddled together in small groups, waiting impatiently. There wasn't much talk, just a few anxious statements and false bravado from the most recent replacements to join the platoon. Then, Lt. Hanley appeared, followed by his squad leaders. The lieutenant turned and, after a few parting words, the NCOs separated to join their men.

First Squad picked up their gear as Saunders approached.

"Alright, listen up," he said. "Don't bunch up as we move forward. We'll be clearing the village of Merrot…"

"Aw, Sarge, how come we gotta clear a village…" the BAR man said, starting one of his standard complaints.

"What do you want to do, trail behind the tanks, never knowing when one's gonna suddenly turn or get hit and maybe explode!?" Littlejohn countered, with each possibility sounding more dire than the previous one.

"All I'm sayin' is that if them Krauts are gonna be runnin' from the tank battle, ya know they're gonna be hiddin' in that village an' that makes 'em twice as dangerous."

"Wha…wha…what do you mean?" Orrin, the young replacement whose voice was trembling as much as his body, asked.

"Ya ever try to trap a cornered _rat_, kid?" the BAR man replied.

"Don't listen to him, Orrin. Kirby complains about everything," Doc responded.

"Yeah, it's flushing out a village, just like you learned in Basic," added Billy.

"B…b..but what if they didn't run from the tanks? What if they're waiting for us?" the now visibly shaking replacement asked.

"Then it'd be a trap, kid, and we'll be the rats," Kirby answered matter-of-factly.

"Kirby, shut up," the sergeant said.

"Yeah, but Sarge…"

Saunders saw Hanley signal the platoon to move out. "Let's go," he said, putting an end to the discussion.

()()()()()()()()()()

Even though the main action of the day was some distance away, the sounds of the battle made it seem as if it was taking place in the next field over as the platoon stopped within sight of Merrot. From where they were, it looked peaceful and picturesque. The evidence of war, so clearly visible to the Germans who had taken refuge in the buildings of the village, was, as yet, hidden from the approaching Americans.

Hanley gave the signal and Second Squad began moving off to the left. "Give us ten minutes to get into position," he said to Saunders.

The sergeant looked at his watch and nodded.

Third Squad, along with the lieutenant, began circling to the right.

Saunders watched the minutes slowly tick away. When ten had passed, he waved his squad forward. As they approached the village, he told Caje, Kirby and Littlejohn to take the right side of the street. Doc, Nelson, and Orrin stayed with him. They began slowly working their way up the street, the men leap-frogging each other as they gave each building a cursory inspection.

When they reached the first cross-street, the sergeant stopped them for a moment. All was quiet.

"M…m…maybe there aren't any Krauts," Orrin said hopefully as he took a few steps away from the side of the building, looking around.

Saunders grabbed the young soldier's arm and yanked him back against the wall they were currently hugging. "Maybe, but that's a good way to get your head blown off," Saunders growled. "Keep alert!"

He waved his men forward, and they began the same process of checking the buildings on the next block. When they reached the cross-street, the NCO again stopped the squad. This time when he looked ahead, he could see Second and Third Squads arriving at the small village square at the end of the next block.

'Maybe the kid was right,' he thought. 'Maybe there aren't any…'

The thought was cut short by the sound of small arms and machine gun fire as the rest of the platoon suddenly came under attack. The men scattered and ran for cover. But, the shots seemed to be coming from all sides, pinning down not only the soldiers who sought safety behind objects in the square but also those who crouched in doorways.

As the two squads tried to return fire, Saunders waved his men forward. Before they reached the end of the final block, the NCO signaled Caje, Kirby and Littlejohn to go behind the buildings and, with a 'thumbs up' movement of his hand, to clear the upper floors. The men nodded, acknowledging they understood the gesture.

They moved into the alley behind the row of buildings facing the village square. Finding an open window at the back of the first building, the Cajun quietly slipped in. He opened the back door, and the other two men entered. They could hear Kraut gunfire above them.

After they cleared the ground floor, Caje began creeping up the stairs with Kirby following him. The shooting was coming from behind a closed door. The scout positioned himself on one side of the entry as he waited for the BAR man to join him. With a nod from Kirby, Caje flung the door open and both men entered firing. Once they had checked the other rooms on that floor, they rejoined Littlejohn and returned to the alley to repeat the process at the next building.

Similar scenes were taking place in the opposite direction. Leaving Doc behind in the alley, the three soldiers entered a building. After clearing the bottom floor, Saunders and Nelson climbed the stairs and burst in on the Krauts who were engaged in the firefight with the rest of the platoon.

Down at street level, the arrival of First Squad was noted by their comrades, but not by the Krauts until almost one entire side of the little square had been cleared. By then, the rest of the platoon was finally able to successfully return fire and to toss grenades into windows. The momentum of the skirmish had swung to the Americans' favor.

As the remaining Krauts made their retreat from the village, chased by Second and Third Squads, Hanley assessed the toll the action had taken on his platoon. Then he reported in to Cpt. Jampel at company HQ. When the platoon reassembled, the lieutenant called his squad leaders together. Their orders hadn't changed. They would spread out and keep moving forward, holding the left flank and looking for Kraut stragglers until they reached checkpoint William. There they would rendezvous with the rest of the company.

()()()()()()()()()()

The squad was settled down, resting for a few minutes after the morning's action and awaiting further orders. They had met only scattered resistance after leaving Merrot. Since the tank engagement seemed to have broken up into smaller conflicts, the brass was trying to consolidate the widely separated units.

"Saunders!" Hanley called, as he gestured for the sergeant to join him.

The NCO got up and headed toward their platoon leader. The rest of the members of the squad focused their attention on the two men, anticipating another mission. They watched as Hanley pulled out a map, pointed off to his right and then bent over the paper with Saunders.

"Littlejohn, what do you think is happening?" Billy asked.

"The Sarge is getting new orders, Billy. We'll be moving out when he comes back," the big private responded.

"Yeah, but why is the lieutenant pointing off to the right? Do you think we're gonna replace Love or Item at the center of the line? Boy, I sure hope not. I don't wanna be following after the tanks."

"Why not, Billy?"

"Well, like you said before, it's dangerous, that's why."

"An' ya think chasin' Krauts through the countryside ain't dangerous?" asked Kirby as he watched the meeting between Saunders and Hanley break up.

"Sure, but…" Nelson's answer was cut short by the sergeant's return.

"Where we goin', Sarge?" Kirby asked, speaking for the entire squad.

Saunders took off his helmet and wiped his sweaty brow on his sleeve as he stared at the rolling countryside behind and to their right. "You see that rise?" he asked as he pointed. "There's a camera crew up there that's been filming the tank battle. We're gonna escort them back to battalion HQ."

"That should be pretty safe, don't ya think?" Orrin asked hopefully.

"We ain't gonna be safe 'til we're back home in our own beds, but it beats movin' forward," the BAR man responded.

"Sarge, how come they're filming the battle?" Billy asked.

"I don't know, Nelson. When we get there, you can ask them," Saunders repliedas he put his helmet back on. "Alright, saddle up. Caje, take the point; Kirby, the rear." He motioned for the scout to move out and the squad began its trek toward the rise.

()()()()()()()()()()

"I'm Saunders; you Newton?" the First Squad sergeant asked as he approached the waiting NCOand his squad of riflemen.

"Yeah, I'm Newton an' am I glad to see you. Those two," he indicated the cameramen who were standing by the side of a truck, "have been nothin' but trouble. Well, now they're your headache."

Newton signaled his squad and without a backward glance, they started walking toward checkpoint William.

The sergeant walked over to the cameramen. "I'm Saunders," he said to them. "We'll be escorting you back to battalion HQ. Get your gear loaded up."

Kirby immediately interjected, "Hey, Sarge, maybe they should take a picture of us while they still got all their equipment out."

Before the NCO could reply, one of the cameramen said, "Not a chance, Private. We only film fightin' GIs."

"An' just what are we, milk maids?" the BAR man responded testily.

"What Cal means is that we only film when there's fighting going on." He turned and offered his hand to Saunders, "I'm Eddie Stone, by the way. That's Calvin Hargrove."

As the sergeant shook the offered hand, Kirby persisted. "Well, ya shoulda seen us earlier today. We was flushin' out this village, see, an' I…"

"Kirby," Saunders shook his head and the rest of the squad gave the BAR man knowing grins. They'd heard his line before.

"Pretty soon you'll be telling them how you single-handedly stormed ashore at Omaha Beach," Littlejohn said with a laugh.

"Aw, shut up, ya big moose."

"Alright, all of you shut up. Caje, keep watch up ahead. Kirby, cover the back trail. Littlejohn, Nelson an' Orrin, get that tarp rolled back on this truck. You two," the NCO indicated the cameramen, "get your gear loaded."

"Now just a minute, Sergeant, we don't want to be sitting in the hot sun all the way back," Cal said.

Saunders gave him an icy stare. Then he calmly asked, "You're Calvin Hargrove, right?" Billy, Littlejohn and even Orrin stopped working to watch what was going to happen next.

"Yeah, that's right an' I'm in charge of this camera detail!"

The sergeant took a step forward and got right in the cameraman's face. "Well, _Cal_, when I want your opinion, I'll ask for it. So right now, GET YOUR GEAR LOADED!"

Eddie didn't say anything, but as he handed one of their crates up to Littlejohn, he gave the big private a wink.

Once the truck was ready, Saunders sent Doc to get Kirby. When they returned, the sergeant asked, "Orrin, can you drive this thing?"

"Yeah, Sarge," the young replacement eagerly responded.

"Alright, the rest of you, listen up. There might be stragglers along the way, so keep down an' keep alert. Let's go."

Saunders got in the cab, next to Orrin. The rest of the squad and the two cameramen climbed onto the bed of the truck. Doc, Cal and Eddie sat on the crates of camera equipment with their backs against the cab while Littlejohn and Nelson watched the sides of the country lane. Kirby covered the road behind the truck. After a quick stop to pick up the Cajun, they got underway.

()()()()()()()()()()

Unexpected shots caused the truck to swerve off the dirt lane and into a tree. The men in the back were thrown from their seats, but quickly regained their balance and began returning fire. Doc and the two cameramen flattened themselves on the floor. Cal tried to get up and take a look, but the medic pulled him back down.

The soldiers jumped off the back of the truck and continued shooting. The Krauts were on both sides of the road, catching the vehicle's occupants in a cross-fire. When Saunders opened the cab door, it received a burst from a Schmeisser, leaving a track of bullet holes across the panel and effectively pinning the sergeant inside.

Once the rest of the squad was out of the truck, the two cameramen crept down the length of the bed and then cautiously dropped to the ground. They positioned themselves between Littlejohn and Kirby, who were firing at the Krauts across the road, and Nelson, who was exchanging fire with those on the same side as the truck. After a few moments, they managed to drag the camera out and open the legs of the tripod. But, with all of the lead flying, the only shot they could safely get was straight ahead at the back of the cab.

Meanwhile, Caje had gotten down on his belly and crawled back, away from the truck, until he reached some bushes that lined the road. Slipping behind them, he began slowly and carefully circling back toward the Krauts on the same side of the road as the crashed truck. His intended targets were busy trading shots with Nelson and Saunders, who although still trapped in the cab, was popping up and firing through the window. The Cajun inched his way forward until he was within throwing range of the log barricade the Krauts were hiding behind. He pulled the pin on a grenade and, stepping out from behind a tree so there was a clear path, he lobbed the little bomb and then threw himself to the ground.

As soon as the grenade exploded, Caje began moving toward the barricade. After insuring that the Germans were dead, he turned his attention to those who made up the other half of the ambush.

With the explosion, Saunders was finally able to exit the cab. He took a position behind the nose of the truck, providing cover fire for the scout as he began to circle around. But, as quickly as the trap had been sprung, the remaining Germans, knowing they were now fighting a losing battle, retreated and disappeared into the field of overgrown weeds and scrub brush.

Doc, rucksack in hand, jumped off the back of the truck. He checked that Kirby, Littlejohn and Nelson were unharmed before making his way to the cab. When he opened the driver's door, he found Orrin slumped forward over the steering wheel. One of the first shots had hit him in the head, ending his young life. With Littlejohn's help, they pulled him from the vehicle and laid him by the side of the road where the medic removed one of his dog tags.

As Kirby stood watching the all too familiar scene unfold, Cal and Eddie joined him, carrying the camera.

The BAR man turned to look at them. "Was that enough of a fight for ya?" he asked angrily. He pointed at Pvt. Orrin and said, "Make sure ya take a picture of him," as he stalked away.

Saunders was studying the map when the scout joined him.

"What now, Sarge?"

"Well, the truck has had it. If we continue walking down this dirt road, we'll probably run into more stragglers. We'll go cross-country," he traced a route with his finger, "to Merrot and pick up the main road from there."

"You dink dose two will be able to make it?" the Cajun asked.

Saunders shrugged his shoulders and walked over to the rest of the squad.

"We can't stay on this road. We'll head for Merrot, an' try to catch a ride back to battalion in a supply truck." The NCO turned to the cameramen and said, "You'll have to leave your gear here."

Cal's face got red as he began to bluster, "Now just a minute, Saunders…"

Before there could be another showdown, which Eddie knew Cal would lose, he calmly said, "Sergeant, we've got some great footage of the tank battle, and if we don't get it and the camera back, the OWI (a) and RKO Pictures will kill us."

"OWI? What's that?" Billy asked.

"Don't you guys know nothin'?" Cal said in disgust. "That's how the War Department tells the folks back home what's goin' on."

"You know, the United News newsreels when they go to the movies," Eddie explained.

"Oh. I remember seeing those before I shipped out!" Billy gushed. "Hey, Sarge, maybe I saw you in one of them, before I knew you,"

Doc gave him a quizzical look, but almost immediately nodded once he made sense of what Nelson had just said.

"Sarge, we could make a litter and carry the stuff," Littlejohn, equally enthusiastic, offered.

"Yeah, Sarge, we don't have to take it all, just the film and the camera, like Eddie said." Billy continued, "After all, it's for the War Department. That's kind of like the Army saying it's important."

If not for the threat of stragglers, Saunders probably would have taken his helmet off and raked his fingers through his hair to give himself a moment to think. It was against his better judgment to be weighed down with a bunch of equipment as they traipsed through territory that might be full of Krauts. But, Nelson had raised a good point. The Army must think it was worthwhile if these two were filming and being shepherded around.

"Alright," he said, "but just the essentials."

The sergeant sent Caje ahead and he went back to watch the road leading to the site of the ambush while Littlejohn and Billy made a litter. Meanwhile, Cal and Eddie sorted through their gear for the 'essentials.'

Kirby watched them, and with each piece they added to the pile, he quipped, "Remember, ya gotta carry all that stuff."

When the litter was ready, Billy and Littlejohn brought it to the back of the truck. They took one look at the pile of equipment the cameramen had assembled, which was just about every piece they had originally loaded onto the truck, and rolled their eyes in amazement.

Doc joined them, shook his head and offered his advice. "Y'all better whittle that pile down, or the sergeant will."

With that, Eddie handed down the big, cumbersome camera, the reels of exposed film, one reel of unexposed film and the spare batteries to Littlejohn and Billy. Cal sputtered, as he picked up one item after another that Eddie hadn't selected. But, in the end, all the rest of their equipment was left behind.

()()()()()()()()()()

"Don't ya think one of those soldiers could spell us?" Cal complained as he adjusted his grip on the poles of the litter. He could already feel the blisters developing.

Doc and the two cameramen had been rotating for the last hour as the squad slowly made its way through the countryside. "If we run into trouble, you'll be glad those soldiers have their hands on their weapons and not on these poles," he said as he held up the back end of the litter.

And, as if Saunders had heard the comment, he suddenly raised his hand. The line of men stopped. Caje turned to look at the sergeant. Whatever it was that had caught the NCO's attention, the scout had also heard or seen it. Saunders signaled everyone to get to cover before he crouched low and ran forward to join the Cajun. The two men dropped to the ground and scanned the field they were approaching.

A moment later, everyone could hear the sound of a distressed piece of machinery slowly making its way toward them. The men waited, not knowing what it was or who it belonged to. Whatever and whoever, the fact that it was still moving must have been a minor miracle from the sounds it was making. If it were an animal, the men would be listening to its death rattle.

Initially crouched with the rest of the squad behind the stone wall that lined the field, Cal suddenly jumped up. He lifted the camera from the litter and spread the legs of the tripod. Although Doc and Billy tried to pull him down, he yanked his arms away and continued with his work. Eddie soon joined him and in no time at all they had the camera loaded and, as soon as there was any action, they were ready to begin filming.

The sergeant and the scout slowly crept forward. It was a tank…and on the turret was a beautiful, if slightly damaged, white star. The two men grinned at each other as they got up and started walking toward the wounded beast. Saunders went to the back and pulled the radio receiver out of the box where it was stored.

"I'm Sgt. Saunders, King Company, 361st. Your right track is damaged and almost off the sprocket."

The tank rumbled forward a few more feet before stopping. The track, as if it had been hanging together only until this final destination had been reached, snapped completely. For a moment, there was only silence. Then, the main turret hatch opened, and the top of a head slowly appeared.

"YOU MIGHT AS WELL COME OUT! DIS TANK HAS HAD IT!" yelled the Cajun.

While the tank crew was pulling themselves out, Saunders signaled the rest of the squad to come ahead. Although disappointed that there was nothing to film, the cameramen had everything back on the litter within a few moments and they hastily followed the rest of the squad.

The two groups, civilian cameramen and First Squad, and the three members of the tank crew, inspected each other.

"I'm Saunders," the sergeant stated. Then pointing to each man, he said, "That's Caje, Kirby, Littlejohn, Nelson an' Doc. We're escorting these two civilians, Cal an' Eddie, back to battalion HQ."

Attention shifted to the tankers. "I'm Harris," the corporal said. He pointed to the two privates, "An' that's Ramirez an' Jorgensen. Our tank commander, Lt. Archer, got killed."

"Boy, your tank's in bad shape," Billy said as he pointed to the broken track. "What happened?"

Jorgensen sighed. "We got hit. It was only a glancing shot, but the turret jammed so we couldn't rotate it. The lieutenant went out to see if he could get it loose. That's when he was killed."

"It ain't safe to be outside 'The Dragon,'" Ramirez said as he eyed the infantrymen.

"We tried to contact the lead tank of our group, but the radio was kaput, too," Harris said as he took up the story. "Then we got hit again in the track."

"So, we decided to try an' make it back to battalion. 'The Dragon' did her best," Ramirez added as he gave the tank an affectionate pat, "but she just couldn't make it."

"How come you call it 'The Dragon'?" Eddie asked.

Harris chuckled. "The lieutenant named it…after his mother-in-law."

That drew a laugh from the rest of the men.

Saunders ended the light-hearted moment when he said, "Well, you better come with us. You got rifles?"

The three tankers exchanged glances as if trying to determine what their best course of action was. Then, by an unspoken but unanimous decision, Cpl. Harris said, "Yeah. Yeah, we got rifles."

Saunders pulled out the map and as he and the scout conferred, the tankers scrambled back into the metal carcass to retrieve their weapons and the few personal possessions they had stowed aboard for luck or as remembrances of home. When they were ready, the sergeant gave Caje the signal to move out and the group of men, now eleven strong, surged forward.

In order to pick up the pace a bit, Saunders had Ramirez and Jorgensen join the rotation of litter bearers, although not both at the same time. For Cal, that was a welcome relief, although he didn't bother to express his gratitude to the sergeant.

()()()()()()()()()()

Just as they had earlier in the day, the squad stopped outside the village of Merrot.

"What do you think, Sarge?" Littlejohn asked.

Kirby shook his head. "We ain't gonna clear it out again, are we, Sarge?"

"Yeah, we'll take a look."

"Do you think the Krauts we chased out this morning came back?" Billy asked.

Saunders studied the village, and then the men gathered around him, weighing how he was going to conduct the mission given the assorted manpower at his disposal.

"Maybe, and they'll probably use the square again to set up an ambush. Littlejohn, give me your grenades. You stay here with Doc an' the civilians." He turned and gave the two cameramen an icy glare. "An' this time, keep down an' don't set up that camera. You got it!"

Cal and Eddie looked at each other. They hadn't even realized the sergeant had seen them get ready to film when they first hear the tank approach.

'One of the other men must have told him,' Cal thought.

Eddie, however, was of the opinion that the sergeant didn't miss a trick.

The two men nodded their understanding.

Saunders turned his attention to the three members of the tank crew. "You remember how to do this?" he asked.

They all reluctantly nodded. "It would be a hell-of-a-lot easier if we still had 'The Dragon'," Harris said.

"It would be a hell-of-a-lot easier for us, too," the BAR man said under his breath.

"Nelson, you an' Harris are on me. We'll take the left side of the street. If we haven't met any resistance, when we get to the square I'll try to get the Krauts to reveal their positions. Caje an' Kirby, you take Ramirez an' Jorgensen. When you get to the square, go behind the buildings to the next street and wait. Watch where the firing comes from an' clear those buildings. Everyone got it?"

"Sarge, how are you gonna draw them out?" Billy asked.

Saunders stuck his hand into his field jacket and pulled out a couple of grenades.

Just as before, the two groups of men made their way up the opposite sides of the street, leap-frogging each other as they moved from building to building, briefly checking each one.

Once the soldiers were out of sight, Cal again picked up the camera from the litter and heaved it onto his shoulder. Then he started for the village.

"Hey, wait a minute. Where do you think you're going? You heard the Sarge," Littlejohn called after him in dismay.

Cal turned around. "Like he said, I'm a civilian. He ain't the boss of me. Eddie, you comin'?"

Eddie shrugged. Pointing to Cal, he said, "He is the boss of me," With that, he got up and, carrying the extra batteries and the reel of unexposed film, dutifully trotted after Cal.

"Saunders is gonna kill me," Littlejohn said.

"Probably, but you better go after those two and give them cover," Doc said as he picked up his rucksack and followed the cameramen.

Littlejohn and Doc hugged the wall of the first building, nervously looking around. Cal and Eddie set up their camera in the middle of the street and waited for something to happen. When the rest of the squad was halfway up the second block, they closed the tripod and moved to the intersection. They waited; there was still nothing going on that was worth filming.

()()()()()()()()()()

They had reached the intersection where the street opened up into the little village square. Saunders signaled Caje to continue moving down the alley to their right. Then he motioned for Nelson and Harris to follow him. They moved behind the buildings to the left until they came to the street. Clinging to the sides of the buildings that lined the passage, they made their way to the end where they had panoramic view of the square. They cautiously looked around as the rest of the men took up positions in the street across from them.

"Alright, Nelson an' Harris, I'm gonna move into the square," the sergeant said. "When I'm set, I'll toss a grenade. That should draw some response from the Krauts. Watch where the firing comes from an' those are the buildings you'll clear. Any questions?"

The two men shook their heads 'no.' Once Saunders eased around the corner, they moved into position. Each one focused on the seemingly empty buildings, trying to pick out likely windows behind which enemy soldiers might be hiding.

The sergeant wanted to get as close to the center of the square as possible so he would be drawing out all the Krauts, not just those on one side. He had moved from the wall to an overturned cart and was about to make a run for the central fountain when shots rang out. But, none were hitting anywhere near him. He turned to see what the Germans were shooting at, and there, where the street opened onto the square, stood the big, cumbersome camera. The two civilians were running for the shelter of the closest doorway.

"Jackasses," the NCO said as he pulled a grenade from his field jacket and threw it toward the nearest window Krauts were using.

While Littlejohn and Saunders returned fire, the rest of the men entered the buildings they had identified and, one by one, cleared them out. The three pairs, each led by a member of First Squad, worked quickly and efficiently. As firing into the village square substantially diminished, the few remaining Germans once again realized their plan had failed. They ran before the Americans reached their buildings, thus ending the confrontation.

The medic was applying a dressing to Eddie's arm when the sergeant approached.

"How is he, Doc?" Saunders asked.

"It's just a nick, Sarge. He'll be fine."

Cal, who had been checking the camera, joined the small gathering. "Everything's okay," he reported.

The sergeant glared at him. "That was a damn stupid thing to do! You're lucky you both weren't killed. I hope it was worth it."

"Actually, I didn't get the chance to turn the camera on before the shooting started," Eddie sheepishly admitted.

Saunders shook his head in disgust and walked away.

'Orrin's dead because I told him to drive the truck an' those two pull a crazy stunt like that an' walk away from it,' the sergeant thought. Although by this time, he knew there was no sense to be made of the vagaries of war.

()()()()()()()()()()

Kirby led the rest of the squad to a shady spot and plopped down to wait for Saunders. Upon reaching battalion HQ, the three members of the tank crew had left to find their CP, and a jeep and driver had been assigned to transport the cameramen well back behind the lines.

"If it takes the Sarge much longer, maybe we can get a hot meal," Littlejohn said hopefully as cigarettes, rations and canteens were shared, swapped and passed around.

Finally, the NCO walked over to his men and sat down. Caje passed him a half-smoked cigarette.

"Well, we stayin' here or what?" the BAR man asked impatiently.

Saunders briefly closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply and then exhaled. "See that supply truck over there?" he asked as he indicated a deuce-and-a-half. "As soon as it gets loaded with ammo, we can hitch a ride on it back to William…unless you'd rather walk."

"Aw, Sarge, how come we can't stay here for the night?" Kirby whined.

"Yeah, Sarge. We could all use a rest and a hot meal," Littlejohn, for once in agreement with the BAR man, added.

"Then you better enjoy this," the sergeant said, tilting his helmet over his eyes and interlacing his fingers behind his head as he lay back, "because this is all the rest we're gonna get, and as for a hot meal, forget it."

()()()()()()()()()()

"C'mon you guys. Get your gear loaded an' let's get goin."

"Listen, Private," Cal said as he jabbed the soldier in the chest with his finger. "I'm a civilian an' you ain't the boss of me." He turned to his partner. "Did ya get the shot?"

Eddie smiled. "Yeah, Cal, I got it."

"Then let's get loaded an' get goin'. We've got some great footage!"

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It was a lovely Saturday in early August when the lights dimmed in the theaters of cities large and small across the nation. After the cartoons, the United News logo appeared and images of the war filled the screen while the authoritative voice of the narrator described the scenes, first in the Pacific and then in the ETO.

"Normandy, 1944…Breakthrough…For tank commanders, there was no real front line. They met the enemy where he could be found. A few weeks after D-Day, U.S. Intelligence discovered that a Panzer tank column had been re-directed during the night to take up positions near Falaise. Our forces were ordered to engage them. The trap was set…" (b)

"Infantry units followed the tanks, attacking as they went…After facing the enemy, the tired foot soldiers rested and ate before regrouping and rejoining the battle…"

And there, for one brief moment, the men of the First Squad, Second Platoon, King Company of the 361st Regiment were immortalized as they rested in the shade somewhere near Falaise. And, in at least six theaters, there were cries of recognition and tears of joy.

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(a) Historical Note: President Roosevelt established the Office of War Information (OWI) by Executive Order in 1942. The OWI became the official arm of government propaganda. At its request, the five newsreel companies, Paramount Pictures (_Paramount News_), RKO Pictures (_Pathé News_), 20th Century-Fox (_Movietone News_), Universal Studios (_Universal Newsreel_) and the Hearst Corporation (_News of the Day_) 'voluntarily' formed a private, nonprofit, fully government-funded organization, United Newsreel Corporation. With War Department approval, civilian camera crews were sent to the major fighting fronts. Their original footage was combined with film shot by military combat cameramen to produce the newsreels. After review and censorship (as deemed necessary by the War Department), copies were sent to the newsreel companies for distribution. Source: The National Archives '_A Reel Story of World War II'_ by Phillip W. Stewart.

(b) From the opening newsreel shown in the "Lost Shepherd, Lost Sheep" episode in the first season of _Combat!_


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